Naughty mothers

Australian photographer Raphaela Rosella took a series of pictures about the life of young mothers from dysfunctional families.

(Total 24 photos)

1. Mimi has no one to leave her son with, so they shower together.

2. Mimi.

3. Mika is crying because his mother has locked herself in the bathroom.

4. Gillian after visiting the grave of one of her sons, who died a year ago.

5. Mika is watching TV while his mother is trying to keep warm.

6. Mimi talks about her child's father: “He hasn't been seen in months, Mika cries at night because of this. Sometimes I think it would be better if he didn't remember him. It breaks my heart."

7. Mimi on her stretch marks: “I don’t show them to anyone, they are ugly.”

8. Gillian: “I try to be a good mother. My mother had a heroin addiction, and I try to give my children what she could not give me. I wouldn't want to compare myself to her."

9. Mimi after a shower.

10. Mimi reads Facebook.

11. Mimi and Mika are watching TV.

12. Gillian with her son Jamal, daughter Sienna and nephew Mika.

13. Gillian tries to keep her son busy to cook dinner.

14. "Doctors think I'm too young and that 5 births is enough for me." By the age of 24, Gillian had given birth to her fifth child, a girl named Bella Rose.

15. Solomon in the shower.

16.

17. Gillian's tattoos with the names of her children.

18. Tammar at 29 weeks pregnant.

19. Tammara says she didn't call her son on his birthday: “Social workers make things worse. They won't let me call their daughter Jessica either. I think it's time to get behind them and try to be a good mother to my unborn child. I hope one day they will remember that they have a mother and want to communicate with me.

20. Tammar at 34 weeks pregnant at her friends house, where she temporarily lives.

21. You can't smoke in Tammar's room.

22. Morning May 16, 2011. On this day, Tammara was scheduled for a caesarean section.

23. “We're not here for you, but for Steven and the baby,” says Tammar's mother-in-law.

24. Tammar installs a swing for Tamika in their new home. For more than 10 months they had nowhere to live.